Driven by Purpose, Passion, and Presence

I wrote my last “purpose” entry for this blog on November 3, 2008.  Since then, I’ve learned a lot about blogging, life and God (I hope), and I thought I should update it a bit.  Many parts remain essentially the same, but this being my 305^th post, I have a little clearer picture of what I want to do so I thought I would share it with you and solicit some feedback.

So the title of this post refers to both myself and this blog (which of course is an extension of me).  I know I have a purpose, God continues to purify and focus my passions, and I hunger for His presence.  I’ve found that in writing, overwhelmingly I swing toward the devotional side of things but I don't really fight it as I feel that is  my purpose.

I want everyone to discover their passion and to meet God where they are, experiencing His presence.

As I wrote in my last post about the purpose of this blog, Connecting to Impact has a double meaning. I know when believers connect in real and honest ways, we will increase our effectiveness and impact in the world. In reality, we connect to make that impact.  The impact that one can make is only amplified when more and more focus their energy on something.

The second meaning is that God is the ultimate Impact and I want to always seek to connect us with Him. I sincerely hope to both encourage and challenge those who read these simple words, stories, and analogies. I hope that we experience His presence through these posts and respond to that in the best ways.  That’s why I talk about scriptures, life lessons, and try to promote conversation about life and faith. I really want us to learn from each other.

Life is not always easy and faith is not always convenient, but we can challenge and inspire each other to go deeper, ask questions, and truly grow.

Why I’ll Continue Blogging

 I love the intentionality of blogging.  Posts don’t magically appear. You have to think, reflect, pray, and grow or you simply can’t continue.  This is the longest journal (or anything remotely like a journal) I’ve ever kept, but I believe it’s because of the conversation and participation that comes from it. 

I will admit that I have pushed some posts out before they were ready, but others have shocked me even as I write them because they take a different direction than I originally thought. 

I’ve always known I wanted to write to encourage others, but until I disciplined myself to do this, it didn’t happen (go figure). I love putting a part of me out there as I try my best to say what God is showing me about Himself.  Then I'm often amazed to receive a comment that blows my mind in a completely different direction.

I appreciate the community of friends and bloggers who spend any time here.  Those who also join in the conversation bless me tremendously.

Because of my purpose I pursue my passion into His presence.  If you're new or have been here a long time, thank you to everyone who joins me on this journey! Sure that sounds cheesy, but some things never change. :)

Now onto the part where I ask for feedback.  
I’m asking honest questions so you can answer honestly.  If you prefer, comment anonymously.  I just want some input on how to make Connecting to Impact more useful and live up to its purpose.

• Do you think I’m meeting my goals and purpose as defined above? Do you have any ideas to help or carry out this purpose in a different way?
• Do you feel the blog is conversational (promotes conversation)? Why or why not?
• What do you like most about this blog and what needs the most work?

Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer one or all these questions. Be honest with me—I can take it!